Food in the Chronicle of Novgorod

Updated
20 April 2007

The food of Medieval Rus is a frustrating research subject. A Russian equivalent of Form of Curye or von Guter Spise has simply never been found.
Various period Russian written sources mention food items, without giving specific information about their preparation. The various Russian chronicles mentions some foods.

Here is what I found in the Novgorod Chronicle...

A.D. 1016. A.M. 6524. ...And the Dnieper began to freeze. And one of Yaroslav's men was on friendly terms with Svyatopolk. And Yaroslav sent one of his attendants to him by night, and he spoke to him. And this is what he said to him: "What dost thou advise to be done now? There is but little mead brewed and the Druzhina is large." And that man said to him: "Say thus to Yaroslav, if there is little mead, but a large Druzhina, then give it in the evening." And Yarslav understood that he was advising him to fight at night...

A.D. 1095. A.M. 6603. ...That same year locusts came to Russia on August 28.

A.D. 1097. A.M. 6605. ...The same year, in the winter, Mstislav with the men of Novgorod defeated Oleg at the Kulatsk during the great feast [Lent].

A.D. 1123. A.M. 6631. ...in the spring, Vsevolod and the men of Novgorod during the Great Fast went against the Yem people and defeated them; but the march was terrible; [a loaf of] bread cost one nogata.

A.D. 1125. A.M. 6633. ...The same year there was a great storm with thunder and hail... it drowned droves of cattle in the Volkhov, and others they hardly saved alive.

A.D. 1127. A.M. 6635. ...And in the autumn the frost killed all the corn and the winter crop; and there was famine throughout the winter; an osminka of rye cost half a grivna.

A.D. 1128. A.M. 6636. ...This year it was cruel; one osminka of rye cost a grivna; the people ate lime tree leaves, birch bark, pounded wood pulp mixed with husks and straw; some ate buttercups, moss, horse flesh; and thus many dropping down from hunger, their corpses were in teh streets, in the market place, and on the roads, and everywhere...fathers and mothers would put their children into boats in gift to merchants [to be slaves], or else put them to death...

A.D. 1137. A.M. 6645. ...And all the year a large osminka cost seven rezanas.

A.D. 1145. A.M. 6653. There were two whole weeks of great heat, like burning sparks, before harvest; then came rain, so that we saw not a clear day till winter; and a great quantity of corn and hay they were unable to harvest...

A.D. 1157. A.M. 6665. ...The same autumn it was very terrible: thunder and lightning, adn hail in size larger than apples...

A.D. 1161. A.M. 6669. ...The same year the sky stood clear all summer and all the corn was scorched, and in the autumn frost killed all the spring corn... but again in the winter the whole winter stood with heat and rain... and we bought a little barrel (kadka) for seven kunas. Oh, there was great distress in the people and want!

A.D. 1165. A.M. 6673. ...The same winter there was severe frost.

A.D. 1170. A.M. 6678. There was dearness in Novgorod; and they bought a barrel of rye at 4 grivnas, and bread at 2 nogatas, honey at 10 kunas a pud.

A.D. 1181. A.M. 6689. ...and they besieged the town, and sat five weeks, and they became exhausted in the town: becasue there was no food for them, others of them ate even horse-flesh...

A.D. 1188. A.M. 6696. ...The same winter things were dear, they bought bread for two nogatas, and one barrel of rye for six grivnas; but by God's mercy there were no ill effects among the people.

A.D. 1194. A.M. 6702. A fire broke out in Novgorod on All Saints' Sunday during Fast...

A.D. 1215. A.M. 6723. ...The same autumn much harm was done; frost killed the corn crops throughout the district; but at Torzhok all remained whole. The Knyaz seized all the corn in Torzhok, and would not let one cart-load into the city; and they sent Semen Borisovits, Vyacheslav Klimyatits, for Zubets Yakun to fetch the Knyaz and he detained them; and he detained whomever you sent. And in Novgorod it was very bad, they bought one barrel of rye for ten grivnas, one of oats for three grivnas, a load of turnips for two grivnas; people ate pine bark and lime tree leaves and moss...

A.D. 1216. A.M. 6724. ...And Mstislav went by the Seregeri lake, and entered his own district, and said to the men of Novgorod: "Go out foraging, but take no heads." They went, and took their fill of food both they and their horses...

A.D. 1217. A.M. 6725. ...The same spring, on May 31, a bakery caught fire in the middle of the morning... by midday the whole side was burnt as far as the fishery, not a house was left...

A.D. 1218. A.M. 6726. ...And Glev Volodimirits with his brother summoned them to the as to the honour of a feast, in their tent; and they not knowing his evil thought and deceit, all six Knyazes, each with his Boyars and courtiers came into their tent. And this Gleb before their arrival having furnished his nobles and his brothers...with arms, hid them in the sleeping tent close to the tent in which they were to drink... When they began to drink and make merry, then immediately the cursed Gleb and his brother having drawn their swords, began to slaughter first the Knyazes then the Boyars...

A.D. 1228. A.M. 6736. ...And then he brought up troops from Pereyaslavl... And tents stood around the Gorodishche, and others about the courts in Slavno. And they made all dearer in the market, bread and meat and fish; and thence forward the dearness remained, they bought bread at two kunas, a kad of rye at three grivnas, of wheat five grivnas, millet seven grivnas; and thus it remained for three years... The same autumn, great rain came down day and night, on our Lady's Day, and till St. Nicholas Day, we saw not the light of day; the people could not get the hay nor do the fields... The same autumn there was great water in the Volkhov; around the lake and along the Volkhov it carried away the hay...

A.D. 1230. A.M. 6738. The earth quaked on a Friday in the fifth week after Easter during dinner, and some had already dined... On [the Day of] the Exaltation of the HOnourable Corss, a frost killed the crops throughout our district and from that there arose great misery. We began to buy bread at eight kunas, a barrel of rye at twenty grivnas, or at twenty-fine in the courts, wheat at forty grivnas, millet at eight, and oats at thirteen grivnas... For what is there to say, or what to speak of the punishment that came to us from God? How that some of the common people killed the living and ate them; others cutting up dead flesh and corpses ate them; others ate horseflesh, dogs and cats; But to those found in such acts they did thus -- some they burned with fire, others they cut to pieces, and others they hanged. Some fed on moss, snails, pine-bark, lime-bark, lime and elm-tree leaves, and whatever each could think of. And again other wicked men began to burn the good peoples houses, where they suspected that there was rye; and so they plundered their property... There was no kindness among us.. seeing children crying for bread and others dying. And we were buying a loaf for a grivna and more, and a fourth of a barrel of rye for one silver grivna.

A.D. 1231. A.M. 6739. ...The same year, God showed His mercy towards us sinners... The Nemtsy came from beyond the sea with corn and with flour, and they did much good, for this town was already near its end... The same autumn, Yaroslav marched with an army to the Chernigov district, with the men of Novgorod... and after camping near Mosalsk he turned back again, having destroyed many crops.

A.D. 1232. A.M. 6740. Boris Negotsevich, etc. with the Knyaz Svyatoslav [Trubetskoi] came in mid-Lent from Chernigov... And so all the year they were without peace; and the Knyaz did not let merchants go to them; and they were buying salt at seven grivnas a berkovets....

A.D. 1233. A.M. 6741. ...The wedding was arranged; the mead was brewed, the bride was brought, the Knyazes invited.

A.D. 1234. A.M. 6742. ...And when they came to the village of Moravin the boatment turned back thence to the town; and the Knyaz let them go because they had not enough bread...

A.D. 1239. A.M. 6747. Knyaz Olexander... was wedded at Toropets and the feast was held both in Novgorod and in Toropets.

A.D. 1240. A.M. 6748. ...and the Lithuanians, Nemtsy and the Chud people invaded the Novgorod district and seized all the horses and cattle about Luga, and in the villages it was impossible for anyone to plough and nothing to do with, till Yaroslav sent his son Alexander again.

A.D. 1245. A.M. 6753. ...And thou, my son, Mikhail, if thou wilt go, do not thus, as the others; go not through the fire; bow not to their idols, nor eat their food, nor take their drink between thy lips...

A.D. 1251. A.M. 6759. ...Heavy rains came the same year and took away all the ploughed fields and crops and hay... and in the autumn a frost struck the crops, but a remnant was preserved. For the Lord God sends down on us for our sins at one time famine at another war and all other kinds of punishemnt; but, oh! His mercy is great!

A.D. 1259. A.M. 6767. ...The same winter the accursed raw-eating Tartars, Berkai and Kasachik, came with their wives, and many others... The same year, on the eve of Boris Day, there was a great frost throughout the province; but the Lord did not wish to leave this place of St. Sophia waste.

A.D. 1268. A.M. 6776. ...as the Scripture says; "Wonderful weapons are prayer and fasting," and again: "Charity combined with fasting saves a man from death," and again let us remember the Prophet Isaiah saying: "If ye be willing to listen to me, ye shall eat the blessings of the earth..."

A.D. 1270. A.M. 6778. ...and sent to the Knyaz in the Gorodishche having written out a document with all his faults: "Why has thou taken up the Volkhov with snarers of wild ducks, and taken up the fields with catchers of hares?..."

A.D. 1271. A.M. 6779. The sun grew dark on Wednesday morning in the fifth week of Lent, and then again filled out and we rejoiced.

A.D. 1272. A.M. 6780. ...And Svyatosalv with the men of Tver began to ravage the Novgorod district: Volok, Bezhitsy, and Vologda. Bread was dear in Novgorod, and they seized the merchandise of Low Country merchants.

A.D. 1282. A.M. 6790. ...And Smen Mikhailovich came to Torzhok, and he sat in ambush at Torzhok not letting dmitri's lieutenants enter Trozhok, and he sent all the crops to Novgorod in boats; for in Novgorod bread was dear.

A.D. 1291. A.M. 6799. The water was big in the Volkhov in the spring. The same year the Lord sent His punishment for our sins: the horses all died in Novgorod, and but few were left. The same year a frost attacked the crops throughout the whole of the Novgorod district.

A.D. 1293. A.M. 6801. ...The same Lent the Veliki Knyaz sent Knyaz Roman Glebovich... The ame night for our sins a thaw set in; water covered all the land; round the town was flooded, and there was no fodder for the horses...

A.D. 1303. A.M. 6811. ...The winter of the same year was a warm winter; there was no snow all through the winter. The people could not get corn, and prices were very high, great hardship and distress for the people.

A.D. 1311. A.M. 6819. ...and they stood three days and three nights, wasting the district. They burned the large villages, laid waste all the cornfields, and did not leave a single horn of cattle...

A.D. 1314. A.M. 6822. ...The same winter before the great Fast Knyaz Yuri came to Novgorod... Bread was dear in Novgorod in the same winter; in Pleskov bad men took to looting in the villages and the houses in the town and storehouses in the town...

A.D. 1316. A.M. 6824. ...And the Knyaz halted short of the town... and so not accepting peace, he withdrew, having accomplished nothing, but receiving great hurt, for in the retreat they lost the way among the lakes and swamps, and began to die of hunger. They even ate horse flesh, and others tearing off the leather of their shields ate it.

A.D. 1333. A.M. 6841. Knyaz Ivan came to Torzhok with all the Knyazes of the Low Country adn of Ryazan... and himself sat in Torzhok from Epiphany till the second week of Lent, despoiling the district of Novgorod.

A.D. 1342. A.M. 6850. ...And the Vladyka with the Igumens and priests ordained a fast, and visited the monasteries and churches throughout the town with crosses... and Fedor and Ondreshko fled to the town of Koporya where they stayed all winter until the Great Fast.

A.D. 1360. A.M. 6868. ...That spring, during Lent [it was] as though a fiery dawn appeared from the east ascending over the sky.

A.D. 1445. A.M. 6953. ...The same year Knyaz Yuri Lugvenivich came to Novgorod... and the men of Novgorod gave him maintenance: grain from the districts, but they gave him no appanages... Bread was dear in Novgorod, and not only this year but during ten whole years: one poltina for two korobyas; sometimes a little more, sometimes less; sometimes there was none to be bought anywhere.

A.D. 1446. A.M. 6954. ...The same year, on January 3, there were heavy clouds with rain, and wheat and rye and corn were beaten down altogether, both in the fields, and in the forests, all round the town for five versts from the Vokhovets [river], as as far as the Msta river, for fifteen versts.

Reference:

Michell, Robert and Nevill Forbes, translators. The Chronicle of Novgorod: 1016-1471. Camden Third Series Vol. XXV. The Camden Society. London. 1914.

COPYRIGHT (c) 2007 by Lisa Kies. You may make copies for personal use and to distribute for educational purposes but only if articles remain complete and entire with original authorship clearly noted.